Editorials

A ‘SORRY’ picture

Swapnil Bharali | March 27, 2018 19:13
hrs

Over time I have learnt that human intelligence has two variants. One is academic in nature where “intelligent” people excel in their academic pursuits but then turn out to be failures in the practical work field. The other variety of intelligent people might not be the sharpest academic brains but come with a high degree of common sense that often sees them do better than the academically intelligent variety.

Take the case of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, for instance. Academically brilliant, an alumnus of IIT, he just did not have the common sense to keep his mouth shut even if it made him look like a fool (as practised by another academically brilliant politician for 10 long years) and chose to open it and remove all doubt. Faced with 33 defamation cases, he has been made to eat humble pie and so has launched himself on an apology spree. Sorry here, sorry there… I am beginning to wonder how sorry a picture he has painted for himself!

Closer home are two specimens who have a similar variety of intelligence and who trend on social media for their similar insensible utterances. One is of course the rabble-rouser called Akhil Gogoi, no well-wisher of Guwahati, who has cultivated a habit of making a fool of himself with unsubstantiated allegations against political bigwigs. And he doesn’t realize this. I guess it’s time he took a leaf out of Kejriwal’s book, both being pathological agitationists by their genes.

And now we have the latest in this fine breed of intelligent people deeply lacking in common sense. Journalist Atanu Bhuyan pulled a pitiable stunt by informing us through his Facebook Live video that national telecom market leader, Airtel, is closing shop within the week after having “looted” us in the name of business. Their massive establishment at 6 Miles is being sold off; it would be vacated by Monday next.

Thereafter, he literally incited his followers to run riot against the company. The videoindeed displayed a terrible intellectual void in the man and sure enough had to be backed up by another video containing his apology.

Well, Edith Sitwell rightly said, “I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it.”